1) The document discusses user roles as an alternative to personas for information architecture and user experience design. User roles focus more narrowly on tasks and goals within a system compared to broader personas. 2) A user role defines the needs, interests, behaviors, and characteristics of a user in relation to a specific subset of tasks. Context, characteristics, criteria, and considerations are described to define a sample reservation scheduling role. 3) User roles provide a more compact representation that is directly relevant to visual and interaction design compared to personas and scenarios. They are presented as particularly useful in agile workflows, when empathy is lacking, or effort and budget are limited.

1. HR Sally

2. World IA Day 2017
Goodbye Personas,
Hello User Roles
@johnmcree
+
@universalmind

3. JOHN MCREE
41
Age
UX Architect
Occupation
Engaged
Status
Denver
Location
Rogue
• Call bullshit
• Deliver the goods
Goals
• People making shit up
• Busy work
• Crap research
Frustrations
John is a Senior UX Architect
at Universal Mind. He has
almost 20 years of industry
experience and co-authored
“Effective UI: The Art of
Building Great User
Experience in Software”
Motivations
Find a better way
Getting to blather
Excuse to drink
Hugs
Expertise
UX Facilitation
UX Evangelism
UX Strategy
User Research
IA
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Pants
Lunch
Glitter Tattoos

7. Frameworks USER-CENTERED DESIGN
NARRATIVE/STORYTELLING
DESIGN FOR USE

8. A user role is a collection of characteristic needs, interests,
expectations, and behaviors in relationship to a particular
subset of tasks within system.
-
Pruitt
“

9. Host
Server
CocktailServer
Bartender
Club
System
User Actors
R01:ReservationSchedulingRole
R02:TableFindingRole
R03:SeatingRole
R05:OrderTakingRole
R06:OrderFillingRole
R04:CashierRole
R04:OrderInputRole
User Roles
CreditCard
Network
Accounting
System
CreditCard
Reader
System Actors
Telephone
Customer
In-person
Customer
Indirect Users

11. • Overalljob,workflow,oractivitywithinwhichtheroleisplayed
• Physical environmentinwhichtheroleisplayed
• Social situationinwhichtheroleisplayed
• Relationshipswithindirectusersintherole
• External sources ofinformation,suchaspaperforms,phone,
email,visualobservation,in-personinterviews
• Backgroundofroleincumbentsintermsoftraining,education,
orexperience
• System knowledgeexpectedorrequiredwithinrole
• Domain knowledgeexpectedorrequiredwithinrole
• Distributionofuser skillsintermsofnovice,expert,andintermediate
usagepatterns
• Requiredordiscretionarynatureofrole
Context
Context
• Noisy club
• Facing possible long queue of customers
• Potential bottleneck in workflow
• Some training expected
R01: Reservation Scheduling Role
2004, Constantine & Lockwood, LTD.

12. • Orientation,attitude,oremotionalstatetypicalwithintherole
• Frequencywithwhichroleisplayed
• Regularitywithwhichroleisplayed
• Intensityofinteractionintherole
• Durationofinteractionintherole
• Complexityofinteractionintherole
• Volumeofinformationhandledintherole
• Directionofinformationflowtoorfromsystem
• Iwouldadd,criticalityofrole
Characteristics
R01: Reservation Scheduling Role
Characteristics
• Frequent process that can be time
consuming
• Accelerating pace as peak rush approaches
2004, Constantine & Lockwood, LTD.

13. • Easeoflearning
• Retentionoflearning
• Efficiencyofinteraction
• Reliabilityofinteraction
• Usersatisfaction
• Enhancementofproficiency
• Userconvenience
• Accuracyofinput
• Clarityofpresentation
• Comprehensibilityofpresentation
• Safety fromerrororsocialrepercussions
Criteria
R01: Reservation Scheduling Role
Criteria
• Speed
• Simplicity
• Accuracy (cannot overbook)
• Needs foolproof wait time estimates
2004, Constantine & Lockwood, LTD.

14. • Functions
• Features
• Facilities
• Capabilities
• Content
Considerations
R01: Reservation Scheduling Role
Considerations
• Seating chart
• Calendaring
• Reservations times
• Desktop or tablet
2004, Constantine & Lockwood, LTD.

15. R01: Reservation Scheduling Role
Context
Noisy club, facing possible long queue of
customers, potential bottleneck in workflow,
some training expected
Characteristics
Frequent process that can be time
consuming, accelerating pace as peak rush
approaches
Criteria
Speed, simplicity, accuracy (cannot
overbook); needs foolproof wait time
estimates
Considerations
Seating chart, calendaring, reservations
times, desktop or tablet

16. Fence-Sitting Current Member Role
Context
Has established connection with org,
possibly familiar with site; may be trying to
quit or looking for reasons to either continue
or bail out
Characteristics
Ambivalent or skeptical attitude; casual,
unpredictable behavior; low motivation to
perform any task, unlikely to be in role more
than once or often
Criteria
Maximal odds of good experience, minimal
bad; easy, convenient operation; offer easy
alternatives to quitting

17. User roles are a more compact and concise representation
that is more finely focused on issues with direct relevance
for visual and interaction design.
-
Constantine
“

19. When empathy is lacking
Abstractions aren’t enough
Time and budget is sufficient
Personas & Scenarios
When effort is directly tied to payoff
Less experienced UX researchers
UX in an Agile workflow
User Roles

21. JOHN MCREE
41
Age
UX Architect
Occupation
Engaged
Status
Denver
Location
Rogue
• Call bullshit
• Deliver the goods
Goals
• People making shit up
• Busy work
• Crap research
Frustrations
John is a Senior UX Architect
at Universal Mind. He has
almost 20 years of industry
experience and co-authored
“Effective UI: The Art of
Building Great User
Experience in Software”
Motivations
Find a better way
Getting to blather
Excuse to drink
Hugs
Expertise
UX Facilitation
UX Evangelism
UX Strategy
User Research
IA
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Pants
Lunch
Glitter Tattoos

23. Thank you.